"Someone! Prince Li has fallen into the lake!"
A shrill scream rose over the pleasant Fair Lady Lake which was filled with faint music a second ago. On the pleasure boats not far away, people gaped at the sight of a tall figure fell from a large and magnificent pleasure boat with a loud bang into the lake. When they recovered from the shock and realized what that scream meant, everyone was startled. Prince Li fell into the lake! Pleasure boats that were near all came closer. Those who held grudges against him found a good position to watch the fun and those who were friends with him hurriedly told their servants to get into the lake and rescue him.
Having made up such a scene, those who were outside the cabin clearly heard him. Murong Ting and Leng Hao Yu rushed inside before everyone else. "Ah Li, Ah Li, are you alright?" Murong Ting took Ye Li aside and measured her up nervously. Having made sure that she was okay, Murong finally had a sigh of relief before speaking unhappily: "What"s the matter with Prince Li? Ah Li, has he taken advantage of you?"
Ye Li smiled with a little fearful uneasiness: "I"m okay... it"s Prince Li. He... somehow fell into the lake."
"His Highness?!" Ye Ying and Princess Qi Xia was petrified and threw themselves at the window and had a look. There were many people in the lake for the rescue but no one had seen Mo Jing Li yet. Ye Ying said worriedly: "How did he fall? He... he can"t swim, third sister..." This time, Ye Ying didn"t suspect Ye Li. After all, in Ye Ying"s opinion, he was a grown man versed in letters and martial arts who couldn"t have been pushed into the water by Ye Li without any struggle.
Ye Li didn"t mind comforting her terrified little sister right now. "It"s going to be alright. There are so many people who are searching for him. He"s going to be safe." Ye Ying stared blankly at the lake with tears in her eyes and didn"t have the mind to talk to Ye Li anymore. Only Princess Qi Xia turned and wanted to go out after looking around the cabin. Ye Li said indifferently: "Young lady, where are you going?"
"I... I"m going to save His Highness. It"s none of your business!" Princess Qi Xia surely knew that Ye Li had recognized her. Recalling that Ye Li once saw her in a most embarra.s.sing state, Princess Qi Xia felt uncomfortable looking at her let alone staying in the same cabin with her.
Ye Li took Ye Ying aside and said: "Forth sister, go back to your boat with this lady. Since she belongs to Prince Li, you should take good care of her as Princess Li and don"t let anything bad happen."
"But..." Ye Ying hesitated. She hated Princess Qi Xia, besides, she didn"t care about anything else at the moment since it was unknown whether Prince Li was dead or alive.
"Enough. Remember who you are." Ye Li said with a frown. "Nothing will happen to Prince Li. Get yourself together first."
Having persuaded Ye Ying to leave, Ye Li smiled to the other three. She sat down leisurely and looked at the salvage operation below.
After some time, having been rescued, Prince Li finally emerged from the water. In the sun over the lake, it was clear that there was a big lump on his forehead. It was good that n.o.body could tell that there was something wrong with his nose probably since he had been in the water for too long. With everybody lending a hand, the rescuers sent him back to his boat not far away. Those onlookers slowly went over so it was quieter at Ye Li"s side.
Leng Hao Yu looked pensively at Ye Li who was leaning casually by the window and asked: "Aren"t you worried at all, My Lady?"
Ye Li smiled: "Worried for what? Set your mind at ease, Mr. Leng. Prince Li was a fortunate man. Nothing would happen to him. Besides, you"ve seen it yourself that he"s alive, haven"t you?"
Murong Ting held her chin and asked curiously: "How did Prince Li fall into the lake when everything was perfectly all right?" It was right that one or two would fall into the lake each year during the best season of boating but that were usually kids who didn"t know better or delicate young ladies. How could Prince Li, a man who had been practicing martial arts fall into the lake?
Ye Li answered seriously: "Just as humans make mistakes, so can a horse stumble. Prince Li... stood up suddenly. He probably fell because the boat was unsteady."
Had the boat been unsteady? Murong Ting, who had been outside all this time was confused. "He has good flying skills, hasn"t he?"
"Prince Li is afraid of water. He probably forgot about his flying skills at that moment." Ye Li said with a straight face. Flying skills weren"t perfect, especially when one of his legs is numb. Or was he good enough as someone who could fly without using his legs. But... it probably won"t be that easy to fool Mo Jing Li next time. Ye Li thought to herself that she should be more careful next time she saw him.
Hua Tian Xiang wasn"t interested in how Mo Jing Li fell but said a little worriedly: "Li-er, Prince Li fell from your boat. What about the Empress dowager and Consort Xian Zhao..."
Ye Li blinked her eyes innocently. "It"s normal that boat becomes unsteady. Am I responsible that he was drunk and didn"t stand steadily enough? Well... it seemed that it was indeed my fault that I didn"t close the windows."
Leng Hao Yu glanced at the only two windows that were open and said with a smile: "Though it"s still in early summer but it"s a little hot on the lake. I believe everyone could understand that you didn"t close the windows, My Lady."
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Leng." Ye Li smiled and said.
Hua Tian Xiang shook her head and said: "Li-er, we certainly understand you. But Prince Li isn"t on good terms with Prince Ding and has always held grudges against you. He could find fault with you even if there isn"t any fault to find. Be careful."
Ye Li smiled: "Thank you, Tian Xiang. I will." If Mo Jing Li really found it nothing to tell others that he was beaten up by a woman, she didn"t mind arguing with him. She wouldn"t have taken the action if she had not had everything planned. Thinking of Mo Jing Li"s loser face a moment ago, Ye Li suddenly felt an itch on her fist and regretted that she had not given him more punches.
At Prince Li"s Manor, Mo Jing Li was woken up by a fit of weep. He already felt ache all over him and that sound drove him crazy. "Shut... Shut up!"
"Your Highness, you finally wake up..." Ye Ying threw herself at him with surprise while Princess Qi Xia squeezed near him. "Brother Jing Li, how do you feel? Anywhere uncomfortable?"
Mo Jing Li closed his eyes and finally recalled what had happened. There was anger in his chest which he was unable to vent out so he coughed heavily.
Ye Ying hurriedly supported him and patted his back. "Your Highness, do you feel better?"
Looking at Ye Ying"s beautiful face covered with tears then recalling some woman"s cold and indifferent look, Mo Jing Li felt depressed. "Stop crying. I"m not dead yet. Where"s Ye Li?"
Princess Qi Xia snorted slightly and said: "Brother Jing Li, what are you talking about? Ye Li is in her Prince Ding"s Manor, for sure. You fell from her ship but she didn"t even visit you. How rude!"
Ye Ying glared at Princess Qi Xia. "No matter how rude my third sister is, she"s more polite than some. There is distinction between the s.e.xes. Why will she be here when His Highness is still lying sick in the bed?" Ye Ying wasn"t stupid. It was beyond her father that Princess Qi Xia was going to marry Prince Li. Though she hadn"t been getting along with Ye Li since she was little but she held grudges against Princess Qi Xia as well so she clearly stood by her sister"s side this time. Recalling that Ye Li reminded her to keep an eye on Princess Qi Xia and being unexpectedly praised by Consort Xian Zhao who used to criticize her right and left when she was home, Ye Ying found that it did her good to listen to her third sister from time to time. Though her second sister was more powerful and clever, she couldn"t help her since she was in the palace. Grandma was right. Sisters should support each other after they got married.
"You!" Princess Qi Xia flared up. What happened back then was bound to make her the subject of ridicule among the n.o.ble ladies of the capital. She even lost her position as the princess of Nan Zhao. Though she could leave everything behind, went back to Nan Zhao and still be an aloof princess, she did love her Brother Jing Li. She would stay with him forever even without the t.i.tle of princess. "Brother Jing Li, look at her..."
"Enough. Qi Xia, Ying-er, you two go out first. I"m tired!" Mo Jing Li said with impatience.
Though normally neither of the two was easy to handle, both were totally submissive to him. Seeing that he wasn"t in a good mood, they stood up quietly and went out reluctantly.
"Li-er." After a brief quietness, Consort Xian Zhao walked in. Mo Jing Li was about to get out of bed when Consort Xian Zhao acted a step ahead of him, pressing his shoulders and sat by the bed. She said with a frown: "How was you so careless?"
Mo Jing Li said in a deep voice: "Sorry for worrying you, My Lady."
Her eyes were still on him and she asked: "How did you fall into the water when everything is perfectly all right? And from a boat of Prince Ding"s Manor? How many times have I told you not to provoke Ye Li? Tell me, was she who pushed you into the lake?"
Mo Jing Li turned dark. He said before staying silent for a moment: "I was being careless."
"Careless? Is this time for you to be careless?" Consort Xian Zhao reprimanded him angrily. "Well, I won"t get to the bottom of this incident anymore. But... from now on, you stay away from men of Prince Ding"s Manor, Prince Ding as well. Do you hear me?"
He raised his brows with disdain and said: "My Lady, I think you and mother think too high of Mo Xiu Yao."
Seeing his disdain, Consort Xian Zhao snorted slightly and said: "You and Prince Ding have been fighting each other ever since you were little. I know you don"t think much of him. But remember, you can ignore him, never Prince Ding"s Manor. We can"t win over Prince Ding"s Manor and Xu Family nor can we offend either so I"ll let go of what happened today. But if you did suffer this time, swallow that bitterness yourself!"
Mo Jing Li was silent for a moment before he said in a deep voice: "Sorry for worrying you, My Lady. I see."
Consort Xian Zhao nodded and said softly while looking at him: "I know you are a good boy. But sometimes you cannot act willfully. When you"ve got everything in your hand, then you can act as you like. Restrain yourself before that."
"Thank you for your teachings. I understand." Mo Jing Li nodded with respect and said.